Los Angeles Lakers/Denver Nuggets/Boston Celtics 2024 NBA draft target Anton Watson described what the Association would require from to be a regular rotation member based on what he's been told in the pre-draft process: contributions everywhere on the floor.
"When I go to these workouts I’m more confident than last year. I feel good going into these workouts,” Watson told Gonzaga Nation when asked about his pre-draft workouts (h/t Inside The Nuggets). “Even with this ankle injury, I just got to stay positive and everything moves super fast.
"They kind of said, to find my place in the league or my calling card is gonna be like one of those guys that does a little bit of everything. They've seen that I’ve improved from the 3-point line, but they want me to take more of them. Proving that in these workouts is huge and having the highest motor out on the court. I gotta be that guy every time, so that's just something that they kind of told me.”
Boston Celtics may have to prepare for losing Luke Kornet and/or Xavier Tillman Sr. in offseason
If the Celtics win it all, every free agent coming off their books will likely get a value bump. On the flipside, a series loss could have Brad Stevens and the rest of the front office reconsidering the team's roster makeup.
In any case, Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman Sr. are not guaranteed to remain with the team beyond this month. The market rewards younger players who haven't clocked in a decade of service and thus make less on the open market. Both of those guys could be had for multiple years on a contract that pays marginally more than the vet's minimum, making Boston a candidate to seek cheaper options via the draft and undrafted free agency.
Enter Watson. An athlete who's slightly undersized, the former Gonzaga star has the makeup to be a second-unit minutes-eater in 2024-25. Boston has enough shot creation to focus on guys who are down to do more of the dirty work, and Watson would assume that role from the jump. Pursuing him is far from difficult to imagine.